Pneumatic tube carrier construction

ABSTRACT

A closure construction for an open end of a tubular materialconveying carrier for a pneumatic tube system, especially adapted for banking service transactions. An end cap is pivotally mounted for lateral movement across an open end of a tubular carrier body between fully closed and fully opened positions forming a closure for the open end. A spring-biased toggle-connected mechanism is contained within the cap to urge and hold the cap in either fully closed or fully opened position.

United States Patent Anders et al.

[54] PNEUMATIC TUBE CARRIER CONSTRUCTION [72] Inventors: Walter G. Anders; Herbert C.

Obermiller, both of Canton, Ohio [73] Assignee: Diebold, Incorporated, Canton,

. Ohio 221 Filed: Aug. 12,1970 21 Appl.No.: 63,233

[52] US. Cl. ..243/35, 243/39, 220/33 [51] Int. Cl. "B653 51/06 [58] Field of Search ..243/32-35, 39; 220/33, 35, 36

[56] 1 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,556,436 I 1/1971 Roelandt ..243/39 1151 3,701,497 [4 1 Oct. 31, 1972 242,459 6/1881 Leaycraft ..243/32 2,735,772 2/1956 Mihalyi ..22o/33 2,732,968 1/1956 Vivolo ..220 33 Primary Examiner-Even C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Merle F. Mafiei Attorney--Frease & Bishop [57] ABSTRACT A closure construction for an open end of a tubular material-conveying carrier for a pneumatic tube system, especially adapted for banking service transactions. An end cap is pivotally mounted for lateral movement across an open end of a tubular carrier body between fully closed and fully opened positions forming a closure for the open end. A spring-biased toggle-connected mechanism is contained within the cap to urge and hold the cap in either fully closed or fully opened position.

7 Claim, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEDnm 31 m2 SHEET 1 UF 2 INVESTORS Walkr m HenbeflbiObanmllq FAWX'M PAIENIEDucm I972 sum 2 or 2 INVENTORS I Wwleriflndarsw Ha'irberfiQObemlber ATTORNEYS 1 PNEUMATIC TUBE CARRIER CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Related Application Field of the Invention The invention relates to a carrier for materials which move through a pneumatic tube and especially to pneumatic tube system carriers used in performing banking services between a teller station and a remote customer station. The carrier body normally is hollow and has at least one open end for access to the compartment formed by the body. The open end normally is covered by a movable closure readily movable between fully opened and fully closed positions, in each of which positions the closure should be held securely. That is, the carrier contents must be held securely with the closure in closed position, and the interior of the carrier should be capable of quick and convenient access for loading or unloading when the closure is open.

Description of the Prior Art Many closure arrangements for pneumatic tube system carrier access openings have been used. Frequently the mounting and latch mechanisms for carrier closures have been complicated and subject to injury and wear in use. The structure of the closure shown in said copending application satisfies requirements as to simplicity, but in use has involved problems of wear, undesired communication between the carrier chamber and end closure control mechanism, and frictionalv problems which develop between relatively movable parts of the control mechanism. Thus, a need has continued to exist in the art for a simple and rugged mechanism which can withstand the severe shocks to which large heavily loadedcarriers in pneumatic tube a systems are subjected and which can be readily opened and closed and effectively held in either position with full access to the carrier when opened.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Objectives of the invention include providing a pneumatic tube system carrier with a closure for its end opening that may be moved readily without binding between open and closed positions; which eliminates latches, and reduces friction and wear; which is effectively held in fully closed position when closed and in fully opened position when open; which has control mechanism of an inherently bi-stable nature and of toggle-arrangement, so as to urge the closure to hold the closure in either fully opened or fully closed positions; and which is simple in construction and operation and composed of rugged parts not subjectto fatigue failure from use.

These objectives and advantages are obtained by the pneumatic tube system closure construction for carrier access openings, the general nature of which may be stated as including a generally tubular, preferably transparent, plastic material carrier body having two ends and open at least at one end; closure means for said open end including an end cap and means pivotally mounting the closure means on the body for lateral movement of the cap across the open end of the carrier between fully opened and fully closed positions; the

pivotal mounting means including a pivot shaft fixed to the body and a pivot sleeve fixed to the end cap journaled on the pivot shaft; the closure means having a cavity formed therein; spring-biased, toggle, end-capcontrol mechanism in said cavity; said mechanism including a laterally extending lug fixed to said pivot shaft within the cavity, and spring means connected within the cavity at one end with the end cap and at the other end with said lug pivotally at a point offset from the axis of said pivot shaft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred embodiments of the invention illustrative of the best modes in which applicants have contemplated applying the principles are set forth in the following description and shown in the drawings and are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a carrier provided with the improved closure construction;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the carrier shown in FIG. 1 with parts broken away;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3, FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the closure in fully opened position;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment The pneumatic tube system carrier 1 has a carrier body 2 which is generally tubular in shape and preferably is formed of transparent plastic material. Body 2 may have either one or two open ends, two open ends 3 being provided for the carrier 1 illustrated. Each open end is closed by an end cap 4 which forms closure means for the carrier.

An accelerator ring 5 surrounds body 2 adjacent each end. Each accelerator ring includes an arcuate axially extending flange 6 terminating in an inturned flange 7 throughout its arcuate extent for engagement with a portion of the end cap 4 when the latter is in closed position as described below.

Each end cap 4 preferably includes a metal disc member 8 and a plastic cap 9 secured to the disc member 8 in any suitable manner as by screws 10. The walls of cap 9 form an internal recess 11 and an external recess 12, recess 11 forming a control mechanism cavity within end cap 4, and recess 12- providing a finger hold accessible for opening and closing end cap 4.

Carrier body 2 has a thickened wall portion 13 adjacent open end 3 formed with an axially extending bore 14, enlarged at 15 in which a pivot shaft 16 is fixed by a retaining pin '17. A lug 18 is mounted on the outer end of shaft 16 and projects laterally of a diametric line 19 passing through the axis of shaft 16 and the axis of body 2, as shown in FIG. 2. Lug 18 forms a shoulder'20, and the offset portion 21 of lug 18 is formed with a pin 22 projecting downward from the lug (FIG. 3) and located eccentrically with respect to shaft 16.

End cap disc 8 has a pivot sleeve 23 mounted thereon which is telescoped over the pivot shaft 16 when the parts are assembled as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5. In assembled condition,'lug shoulder engages the surface 8a of disc 8 within the cavity 11 and holds disc 8 and connected cap 9 assembled to carrier body 2 when the retaining screw 17 engages pivot shaft 16. In this manner, pivot sleeve 23 is located in the enlarged bore 15 in body 2 and is journaled on pivot shaft 16; and lug 18 is located in cavity 11 formed in end cap 4.

End cap 4 thus is pivotally mounted for lateral movement across the open end of the carrier between fully opened position shown in FIG. 4 and fully closed position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; such lateral pivotal movement occurring about pivot shaft 16 as an axis. During such pivotal end cap movement, offset pin 22 remains in a position ,fixed with respect to the carrier body within end cap cavity 11.

Action of end cap 4 is controlled by a spring member 24 having several convulsions 25 terminating in a straight end portion 26 formed with a loop 2'7 at one end and a longer straight portion 28 formed with a loop 29 at the other end. Spring loop 29 is journaled on lug pin 22 and loop 27 is journaled on a pin 30 projecting from disc 8 into cavity 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the pivotal connections of spring 24 with end cap pin 27 .and lug pin 22 both are located above the diametric line 19 passing through the pivot axis of pivot shaft 16.

End'cap 4 as it moves laterally clockwise about pivot shaft 16 from the position of FIG. 2 to that of FIG 4 initially moves pin 30 closer to lug pin 22 and compresses spring 24 by moving end loops 27 and 29 thereof closer together. As end cap .4 moves beyond 90 of opening movement, pin 30 moves farther away from pin 22 and spring 24,snaps end cap 4 to and holds it at open position shown in FIG. 4.

The spring 24, its pivotal connection with pins 30 and 22, and the fixed offset mounting of pin 22 with respect to pivot shaft 16 form spring-biased, togglecontrol means for end cap 4.

The structural relationship described of the end cap, body and spring-biased, toggle-control means imparts a torque to end cap 4 so that cap 4 has only two stable positions, either fully opened or fully closed, as shown. This bi-stable nature of the closure means and its control mechanism insures that the end cap 4 is positively closed, when closed for reliable protection of the carrier contents as it moves through a pneumatic tube; and also insures that when opened, the closure is held fully opened for convenient loading and unloading of the carrier contents.

Second Embodiment The modified form of construction shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 8, and 9 is identical in all respects with the construction shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 excepting for the spring means forming part of the spring-biased, toggle-control mechanism. The spring means generally indicated at 31 includes a rod 32 pivotally connected at 33 with lug pin 22 and extending at its other end 34 slid ably through an opening 35 formed in a stop member, such as an angle clip 36 mounted on disc 8 within the end cap cavity. A compression coil spring 37 surrounds rod 32 and extends between stop clip 36 and a collar 38 fixed on rod 32 adjacent its pivoted end33.

Spring 37 is compressed as end cap 4 is pivoted clockwise about pivot shaft 16 from the position of FIG, 6 toward that of FIG. 7, and the compressed spring of the spring-biased, toggle-control mechanism moves end cap 4 either to fully opened or fully closed position in accordance with toggle operation.

Each cap member 9 preferably is provided with an annular recess shoulder portion 39 engaged by accelerator ring flange 7 when the end cap is in closed position to assist in supporting the end cap 4 against axial thrust during movement of the carrier in a pneumatic tube.

The improved construction of both embodiments of the invention using compression spring means is very simple, sturdy, and shock and fatigue resistant; and it provides an efiective and reliable end closure for a pneumatic tube carrier to positively contain the contents thereof and to withstand shock loading to which a carrier is subjected. Furthermore, the improved construction is simple and convenient to load, unload, and dispatch in a pneumatic tube and provides a structure eliminating difficulties that have been encountered in the art, achieving the stated objectives and solving existing problems.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, cleamess, and understanding; but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is by way of example, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.

Having now described the features, discoveries, and principles of the invention, the manner in which the improved carrier closure construction is built and used, the characteristics of the new construction, and the ad vantageous, new and useful results obtained; the new and useful structures, devices, elements, arrangements, parts, and combinations are set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Closure construction for a pneumatic tube carrier including a generally tubular carrier body having two ends at least one of which is open; closure means for said open end including an end cap, and means pivotally mounting the closure means on the body for lateral movement of the cap across the open end between fully opened and fully closed positions to expose a substantially complete opening at said open end of the tubular body, when the closure means is in fully open position; the pivotal mounting means including a pivot shaft fixed to the body having an axis, and means journaling the closure means on said pivot shaft; the end cap closure means having walls forming a cavity, and an end of the pivot shaft extending into said cavity; and spring-biased, end cap, toggle control means located entirely within said cavity; said control means including a lug fixed to the pivot shaft end within said cavity, and spring means engageable with said lug located within said cavity; said lug extending laterally of an imaginary line passing through the axis of the closure means pivot shaft and the axis of the carrier body; the spring means including stop means, rod means,

pivot means connecting one end of said rod means to' said lug at a fixed point offset from the axis of the pivot shaft, and a compression coil spring surrounding said rod means; the other end of said rod means being slidably engaged with said stop means and extending through an opening in said stop means for extended and retracted movement through said stop means opening as the end closure means moves between open and closed positions; and said compression coil spring being under compression between said stop means and said lug, and reactively engaging said stop means; whereby the spring-biased, toggle-control means urges said closure means towards and holds said closure means in either fully open or fully closed position.

2. The construction defined in claim 1, in which the rod means includes an abutment formed adjacent the rod means pivotally connected end, and in which the compression coil spring is located between the stop means and abutment.

3. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the closure means includes a sleeve on the end cap, in

which the body wall has an enlarged recess surrounding the pivot shaft, and in which the sleeve is journaled on said pivot shaft in said recess.

4. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the end cap comprises a disc member and a cap member formed with an internal recess providing the closure means cavity, in which the lug fixed to the pivot shaft end has a shoulder engaged with the disc within the cavity, and in which pin means provides for fixing the pivot shaft to the body; whereby said pin means, pivot shaft, and lug shoulder maintain the closure means assembled with the body.

5. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the end cap comprises a disc member and a cap member formed with an internal recess providing the closure means cavity; in which the lug fixed to the pivot shaft end has a shoulder engaged with the disc within the cavity, and a portion offset from the shoulder and pivot shaft spaced from the disc; in which a pivot pin extends from said offset lug portion toward said disc, and in which said other end of the spring means is pivotally connected with said lug pivot pin.

6. The construction defined in claim 5 in which the reactive connections at said one end of the spring means with the cap and at said other end of the spring means with the lug both lie on one side of a diametric line through the axes of the tubular body and said pivot shaft.

7. The construction defined in claim 1, in which an accelerator sleeve is mounted on and surrounds said open end of the body, and in which said accelerator sleeve has an inturned flange segment adjacent said open end of the body engaged with the closure means when the closure means is in fully closed position. 

1. Closure construction for a pneumatic tube carrier including a generally tubular carrier body having two ends at least one of which is open; closure means for said open end including an end cap, and means pivotally mounting the closure means on the body for lateral movement of the cap across the open end between fully opened and fully closed positions to expose a substantially complete opening at said open end of the tubular body, when the closure means is in fully open position; the pivotal mounting means including a pivot shaft fixed to the body having an axis, and means journaling the closure means on said pivot shaft; the end cap closure means having walls forming a cavity, and an end of the pivot shaft extending into said cavity; and spring-biased, end cap, toggle control means located entirely within said cavity; said control means including a lug fixed to the pivot shaft end within said cavity, and spring means engageable with said lug located within said cavity; said lug extending laterally of an imaginary line passing through the axis of the closure means pivot shaft and the axis of the carrier body; the spring means including stop means, rod means, pivot means connecting one end of said rod means to said lug at a fixed point offset from the axis of the pivot shaft, and a compression coil spring surrounding said rod means; the other end of said rod means being slidably engaged with said stop means and extending through an opening in said stop means for extended and retracted movement through said stop means opening as the end closure means moves between open and closed positions; and said compression coil spring being under compression between said stop means and said lug, and reactively engaging said stop means; whereby the springbiased, toggle-control means urges said closure means towards and holds said closure means in either fully open or fully closed position.
 2. The construction defined in claim 1, in which the rod means includes an abutment formed adjacent the rod means pivotally connected end, and in which the compression coil spring is located between the stop means and abutment.
 3. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the closure means includes a sleeve on the end cap, in which the body wall has an enlarged recess surrounding the pivot shaft, and in which the sleeve is journaled on said pivot shaft in said recess.
 4. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the end cap comprises a disc member and a cap member formed with an internal recess providing the closure means cavity, in which the lug fixed to the pivot shaft end has a shoulder engaged with the disc within the cavity, and in which pin means provides for fixing the pivot shaft to the body; whereby said pin means, pivot shaft, and lug shoulder maintain the closure means assembled with the body.
 5. The construction defined in claim 1 in which the end cap comprises a disc member and a cap member formed with an Internal recess providing the closure means cavity; in which the lug fixed to the pivot shaft end has a shoulder engaged with the disc within the cavity, and a portion offset from the shoulder and pivot shaft spaced from the disc; in which a pivot pin extends from said offset lug portion toward said disc, and in which said other end of the spring means is pivotally connected with said lug pivot pin.
 6. The construction defined in claim 5 in which the reactive connections at said one end of the spring means with the cap and at said other end of the spring means with the lug both lie on one side of a diametric line through the axes of the tubular body and said pivot shaft.
 7. The construction defined in claim 1 in which an accelerator sleeve is mounted on and surrounds said open end of the body, and in which said accelerator sleeve has an inturned flange segment adjacent said open end of the body engaged with the closure means when the closure means is in fully closed position. 